EE creates 208 apprenticeships for 2017

EE is to take on 208 apprentices over the course of 2017 according to BT, with the BT group creating 1,700 new apprenticeship and graduate roles overall.

The new EE apprenticeships include their services, mobile technical (device diagnostics), home technical (broadband support and diagnostics) and sales.

The 1,700 new roles are based in London, Glasgow, Belfast, Sheffield, Nottingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and other locations, and includes roles at BT, EE and Plusnet, though Openreach was not included due to Ofcom’s decision to split it off from the BT group last year. However, BT stated that Openreach will launch their own recruitment drive ‘in due course.’

Apprenticeships and Skills Minister, Robert Halfon stated, ‘It is always good to talk about apprenticeships and the ladder of opportunity they give people to secure the career they want.

‘By committing to injecting 1,700 new graduate and apprentice jobs into the UK, BT is offering a real chance to be trained by some of the best in their field.’

BT CEO Gavin Patterson added, ‘Young people today need three basic skills – reading, writing, and tech know-how. BT is investing in the next generation, helping to train primary school teachers to teach computer science and recruiting large numbers of apprentices and graduates. This is the right thing for us to do if the UK is to remain a digital leader.

‘It is an exciting time to join BT as it continues to invest in ultrafast broadband, 4G, television and sport. We are also preparing for future technologies, including 5G, and so we want to recruit the very best. Our apprenticeship and graduate roles will offer people the hands on experience they need to succeed.’

The UK’s ability to train up enough tech staff post-Brexit was called into questions by a 46 page House of Commons subcommittee report which foresaw no improvement in the already undersized tech talent pool. Meanwhile an Institute of Directors survey last year found that four in 10 bosses are worried about a post-Brexit skills gap.